Dynamic Web Design

Black Duck Studio

Services:

1:1 CONSULTATION

E-COMMERCE WEB DESIGN

Redesigning the website for the team at Black Duck Studio was a dream creative project, one that I feel I had manifested – especially when I started making great friends with the owner Elissa.

From designing the homepage as a wireframe to seeing the website live now in all its glory: designing a dynamic website for Black Duck Studio gives me all the gooey feelings.

As a brand and web designer, I know all too well we live in a fast digital era and every project is an opportunity for me to craft a digital experience that both delights and drives results.

The juncture of aesthetics, quality and practicality – that is where I aim with every project I take on.

We all love a good before and after… pull the slider over to see the impact a new design has in the top hero section below:

Black Duck Studio had a website, but it was static, outdated, and frankly, failing to capture their vibrant brand personality. Their classes, courses and other offerings where also hard to find with clients calling them up to speak to support as the site was so hard to use. They weren’t reaching their target audience, and their online presence wasn’t translating into conversions. Their vision? A dynamic website that reflected their innovative spirit, engaged their users, and ultimately, empowered them to achieve their goals.

The goal of the client was to make it clear how to book in classes and to feature all that they offer in a simple way… and make it look good! No easy task, but I like a challenge.

The studio wanted to make it easy to book via their phones so making the website design mobile friendly was a big priority.

Before I even opened up a browser, the crucial first step was understanding my clients audience. Who were they targeting? What were their needs and pain points? How did they interact with online content? Through in-depth user research, including surveys and interviews, we built a comprehensive profile of their ideal customer.

Strategy & Storyboarding

With the user in mind, we crafted a colour strategy that prioritised their clients experience both online and in studio. Conversion optimisation on mobile was priority. By defining clear goals, mapping out user journeys, I developed a sitemap that guided users intuitively through the information they needed to then book in seamlessly. Then came the magic – storyboarding. Using visual sketches and wireframes, we brought the website to life, outlining the flow, content placement, and overall aesthetic.

The next step was choosing the right tools for the job. Opting for WordPress CMS framework provided the studio with flexibility and scalability they needed for future growth. I integrated various plugins and the booking plugin functionalities to seamlessly manage content, track analytics, and optimise their SEO.

The studio offers ceramic events that are one-off, regular classes, after school programs that run per term and they also sell DIY kits to the public, this made creating the product pages a challenge, creating custom templates and integrating a booking system that would not slow the site down and offer dynamic booking calendars was key. A bit of a mind-boggler at times, this website was an absolute labour of love and one that sits high in my favourite folder. Creating motion animation and dynamic elements while users scroll the site gave me an opportunity to learn more css.

Testing, testing and more testing

Every element, from the call-to-action buttons to the micro-interactions, was meticulously tested by the client, and a small group of beta users to make sure that no device was viewing the site in a way we didn’t want.

Beyond Launch: A Collaborative Journey

The website launch was just the beginning. Closely monitoring analytics and traffic, gathering user feedback, and continuously keeping the site up to date with the most updated features and software allows the elements to refine the design and functionality based on real-world data. This ongoing collaboration with Black Duck Studio and The Brainchild ensures their website remains dynamic and optimised for success.

Working with the owner Elissa was easy due to a similar work ethic which saw us work into the wee hours together getting the design done before the birth of her second child. I love working with these super mums in business, nobody knows the juggle and struggle that comes with doing it all.